Duplicate Material Identification
Surface potential duplicates in your material master — exact matches, likely matches and similar materials — flagged for human review and decision.
Not all duplicates look the same.
Similarity in descriptions alone does not confirm that two materials are identical. VCode identifies and categorises candidates — the decision to consolidate rests with your team.
Exact duplicates
Same item, same description — clear candidates for consolidation subject to business and technical verification.
Lowest risk. Typically safe to consolidate after review.
Likely duplicates
Same item but described differently — different abbreviations, supplier references or description styles. Requires matching review.
Moderate risk. Needs description comparison and technical confirmation.
Similar materials
Related items that may or may not be interchangeable — different grades, sizes or specifications. Require technical evaluation.
Highest risk. Should not be consolidated without engineering or technical approval.
What contributes to a duplicate match.
Duplicate identification can consider multiple factors beyond description text — improving match accuracy and reducing false positives for review teams.
- ·Description text similarity
- ·Manufacturer part number (MPN) matching
- ·Material class and noun alignment
- ·Technical attribute comparison
- ·Unit of measure consistency
- ·Supplier and source references
Human decision required
VCode surfaces potential duplicates and categorises them by match type. The decision to consolidate, retain separately or investigate further rests with your procurement, engineering or master data team — not with the system.
Find the duplicates in your material master.
Start with a Material Master Health Check to get an initial assessment of potential duplicates in your data.